What did the Tribunal hold?

The Tribunal held that the appeals filed by the Revenue were not maintainable due to the low tax effect, as per the CBDT Circular No.17/2019. The circular mandates a minimum tax effect of Rs. 50,00,000/- for appeals to the Tribunal.

The Revenue filed appeals before the ITAT for assessment years 2015-16 and 2016-17. The appeals were based on disputed issues with a low tax effect.

What were the issues?

Whether appeals filed by the Revenue are maintainable before the ITAT when the tax effect is below the monetary limit prescribed by the CBDT Circular.

DCIT vs Lakshmipat Singhania Education… | ITAT Delhi 2023

Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, DELHI BENCH ‘E’ : NEW DELHI

For Appellant: Shri Anunav Kumar, Advocate

For Respondent: Shri Subhra Jyoti Chakraborty, CIT DR

Hearing: 09.08.2023

PER SHAMIM YAHYA, ACCOUNTANT MEMBER :

This appeal by the assessee is directed against the order of the ld. CIT(Appeals)-40, Delhi dated 31.01.2019 pertaining to the assessment year 2015-16.

2. Perusal of the aforesaid appeals filed by the Revenue apparently shows that the same are having low tax effect as per CBDT Circular No.17/2019 dated 8th August, 2019 vide which the Revenue has been directed not to prefer any appeal in case the tax effect is less than Rs.50,00,000/- and this factual position has been fairly conceded by the Ld. D.R.

2 & 7264/Del./2019 3. We have heard the ld. DR of the Revenue on the issue in controversy and perused the material on record. Perusal of CBDT Circular (supra) shows that monetary limit for filing the appeal by the Department before the Tribunal, Hon'ble High Court and Hon'ble Supreme Court has been revised and the relevant portion of the aforesaid circular is extracted as under:

“Subject : Further Enhancement of Monetary limits for filing of appeals by the Department before Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, High Courts and SLPs/appeals before Supreme Court - Amendment to Circular 3 of 2018 -Measures for reducing litigation. Reference is invited to the Circular No.3 of 2018 dated 11.07.2018 (the Circular) of Central Board of Direct Taxes (the Board) and its amendment dated 20th August. 2018 vide which monetary limits for filing of income tax appeals by the Department before Income Tax Appellate Tribunal. High Courts and SLPs/appeals before Supreme Court have been specified. Representation has also been received that an anomaly in the said circular at para 5 may be removed.

As a step towards further management of litigation. it has been decided by the Board that monetary limits for filing of appeals in income-tax cases be enhanced further through amendment in Para 3 of the Circular mentioned above and accordingly, the table for monetary limits specified in Para 3 of the Circular shall read as follows:

S. No. Appeals/SLPs in Income-tax Monetary matters Limit (in Rs) 1 Before Appellate Tribunal 50,00,000/- 2 Before High Court 1,00,00,000/- 3 Before Supreme Court 2,00,00,000/-

Further, with a view to provide parity in filing of appeals in scenarios where separate order is passed by higher appellate authorities for each assessment year vis-a-vis where composite order for more than one assessment years is passed. para 5 of the circular is substituted by the following para: "5. The Assessing Officer shall calculate the tax effect separately for every assessment year in respect of the disputed issues in the case of every assessee. If, in the case of an assessee, the disputed issues arise in more than one assessment year, appeal can be filed in respect of such assessment year or years in which the tax

3 & 7264/Del./2019 effect in respect of the disputed issues exceeds the monetary limit specified in para 3. No appeal shall be filed in respect of an assessment year or years in which the tax effect is less than the monetary limit specified in para 3. Further, even in the case of composite order of any High Court or appellate authority which involves more than one assessment year and common issues in more than one assessment year, no appeal shall be filed in respect of an assessment year or years in which the tax effect is less than the monetary limit specified in para 3. In case where a composite order/ judgment involves more than one assessee. each assessee shall be dealt with separately."

In view of the CBDT Circular No.17/2019 dated 8th August, 2019 having 4. retrospective effect, coordinate Bench of the Tribunal in case of Dinesh Madhavlal Patel [TS-469-ITAT-2019(Ahd)] 2019-TIOL-1556-ITAT-AHM dated 14th August, 2019 has already decided the issue as to the applicability of the captioned circular to the pending appeals in affirmative and what has been discussed above, we are of the considered view that the aforesaid appeals are not maintainable because of low tax effect i.e. less than Rs.50,00,000/- hence, the aforesaid appeals filed by the Revenue are hereby dismissed having been become infructuous. However, in case, the present appeals are found to be maintainable at any stage for any technical reasons, the Department shall be at liberty to seek recall of this order under relevant provisions of law.

In the result, the appeals filed by the Revenue are dismissed. Order pronounced in the open court on this 9th day of August, 2022 after the conclusion of the hearing.

DCIT, CIRCLE 1(1), NEW DELHI vs. LAKSHMIPAT SINGHANIA EDUCATION FOUNDATION, NEW DELHI

What did the Tribunal hold?

What were the facts?

What were the issues?

Latest GST High Court judgments